There are several different factors that lead to rising sea levels. Three main factors are thermal expansion of water, melting of glaciers and polar ice caps, and ice loss from Greenland and West Antarctica ("National Geographic, The Ocean"). Thermal expansion has attributed to roughly half of the rise of sea levels over the past century. Melting of glaciers and polar ice caps is typically balanced out by snowfall each year but recently runoff has increased and snowfall has decreased due to shorter winters and higher temperatures caused by global warmer. Ice loss from Greenland and West Antarctica has been occurring similar to the melting of glaciers and polar ice caps mainly due to a rise in global temperatures. Melt water above and below the ice sheets in both Greenland and West Antarctica lubricates the sheets and makes them slide into the ocean and greater rates as well (“National Geographic, The Ocean”).
Problems caused by rising sea levels
Rising sea levels will lead to the destruction of coastal habitats. Erosion will occur at a much more rapid pace, wetlands will be flooded, aquifers will be contaminated and animal habitats will be destroyed (“National Geographic, The Ocean”). Assets continue to rise in coastal community and all of these assets may be lost to rising sea levels (Abel, Gorddard, and et al 279-288). In 2007 the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change projected that during the next century, sea levels will rise anywhere from 18 to 59 cm ("Current Sea Level Rise").
Solutions
One solution to this major problem of rising sea level would be a planned retreat from the coastlines over time (Abel, Gorddard, and et al 279-288). Although this is a solution it is not an easy one. Assets such as major cities (i.e. Lower Manhattan, Los Angeles) will not be easy to move, or rather impossible to move. Urban sprawl would also increase across the Midwest if coastlines were retreated from simply due to a population shift over time, hence this may not be the best solution. Another solution could be the construction of manmade levees in coastal area. This is already implemented in areas such as New Orleans but is not quite the perfect solution especially when natural disasters strike such as Hurricane Katrina.
Bibliography
Abel, Nick, Russell Gorddard, et al. "Sea Level Rise, Coastal Development and Planned Retreat: Analytical Framework, Governance Principles and an Australian Case Study." Environmental Science & Policy. 14.3 (2011): 279-288. Web. 11 Sep. 2012. <http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S146290111000167X>.
WHEN SEA LEVELS ATTACK!
What causes the rise of sea levels?
There are several different factors that lead to rising sea levels. Three main factors are thermal expansion of water, melting of glaciers and polar ice caps, and ice loss from Greenland and West Antarctica ("National Geographic, The Ocean"). Thermal expansion has attributed to roughly half of the rise of sea levels over the past century. Melting of glaciers and polar ice caps is typically balanced out by snowfall each year but recently runoff has increased and snowfall has decreased due to shorter winters and higher temperatures caused by global warmer. Ice loss from Greenland and West Antarctica has been occurring similar to the melting of glaciers and polar ice caps mainly due to a rise in global temperatures. Melt water above and below the ice sheets in both Greenland and West Antarctica lubricates the sheets and makes them slide into the ocean and greater rates as well (“National Geographic, The Ocean”).
Problems caused by rising sea levels
Rising sea levels will lead to the destruction of coastal habitats. Erosion will occur at a much more rapid pace, wetlands will be flooded, aquifers will be contaminated and animal habitats will be destroyed (“National Geographic, The Ocean”). Assets continue to rise in coastal community and all of these assets may be lost to rising sea levels (Abel, Gorddard, and et al 279-288). In 2007 the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change projected that during the next century, sea levels will rise anywhere from 18 to 59 cm ("Current Sea Level Rise").
Solutions
One solution to this major problem of rising sea level would be a planned retreat from the coastlines over time (Abel, Gorddard, and et al 279-288). Although this is a solution it is not an easy one. Assets such as major cities (i.e. Lower Manhattan, Los Angeles) will not be easy to move, or rather impossible to move. Urban sprawl would also increase across the Midwest if coastlines were retreated from simply due to a population shift over time, hence this may not be the best solution. Another solution could be the construction of manmade levees in coastal area. This is already implemented in areas such as New Orleans but is not quite the perfect solution especially when natural disasters strike such as Hurricane Katrina.
Bibliography
Abel, Nick, Russell Gorddard, et al. "Sea Level Rise, Coastal Development and Planned Retreat: Analytical Framework, Governance Principles and an Australian Case Study." Environmental Science & Policy. 14.3 (2011): 279-288. Web. 11 Sep. 2012. <http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S146290111000167X>.
"Current Sea Level Rise." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 2012. Web. 11 Sep 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Current_sea_level_rise>.
"Sea Level Rise, Ocean Levels Are Getting Higher--Can We Do Anything About It?." National Geographic, The Ocean. 2012: Web. 11 Sep. 2012. <http://ocean.nationalgeographic.com/ocean/critical-issues-sea-level-rise/>.
Images
http://marineinsight.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/sea_level_rising_myth.jpg
http://environmental.lilithezine.com/images/Rising-Sea-Levels-01.jpg
http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01364/londonflood_1364681a.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0f/Recent_Sea_Level_Rise.png/300px-Recent_Sea_Level_Rise.png
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